Engine-starter.



G. E. BRIDGES.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1912.

1,1 14,852. 1 Patented 0012.27, 1914.

- UNITED STATES CHARLES E. BRIDGES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EN GIN E-STARTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 19114.

Application filed November 16, 1912. Serial No. 731,689.

To all whom it m (13 concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BRIDGES. a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 4537 Whipple street, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Engine-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engine starters or means for setting in operation an internal combustion engine of the kind common'ly used in motor cars, which, as is well known require to be initially set in motion before they will perform their regular functions and continue in operation unaided by the application of external forces. Most commonly such engines have heretofore been provided with hand cranks or handles on the ends of their crank shafts by which such crank shafts could be rotated for the purpose of setting the various parts of the engine in operation. and more recently mechanical devices of different sorts have been provided for the purpose of causing such initial rotation in bthermanners.

(Dne of the ob'ects of the present inventhen is to provi e a mechanical device for setting such tin-engineinmperation. which device may be actuated by the operator while seated'ih the'vehicle in the ordinary position assumed while driving or riding in sueh vehicle. Itis also well known that occasionally throughdefects in the operation of the various parts of an engine or through carelhssness in their adjustment an engine when initially rOtated for the purpose of setting it'in operation may start backward. or backfire as it-is cal-led; causing the'starting crank to he whirled violentlyaroundin a reverse direction with consequent danger of injurhug the o riverator.

Another object-of the present invention is to provide astarting device ofsuch form as to 'c'aiise'the arts engaging with theengine ci an'k shaft F of well known and approved construction;

and is designed for attachment'to such an obe released in case of such a. back-fire in order to avoid any damage or injury either to the apparatusor t0;the 'op- 1 engine and vehicle without any substantial alteration of the latter. Such device is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a view of the device in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 of Fig. 1.

As shown in said drawings the vehicle is provided with an engine, the forward art of the crank case of which is indicate at {3, and the forward end of the crank shaft is shown extended through the crank case at 4. The device as it is here illustrated is designed more particularly for use in connection with a type of vehicle of which a large number are at present in use, or for use on vehicles substantially similar to it, and such vehicles are ordinarily equipped with a belt pulley on the end of the shaft 4- for driving a cooling fan mounted behind the radiotor of the vehicle. The hub of such' pulley is somewhat wider than the length'of the projecting shaft 4 and is formed with notches or claws on its front end designed for engagement by a in 6"fixed tadizllly lthrough the inner end i a'sllaf-t which 'is provided atits-othcr end with a crank arm Band a handle 9; the whole comprising the familiar starting crank which is com-moirlyf found on the front end of a gasolenc motor .ear." The shaft 7 of the startingcrank has l its bearing in a bracket 10 bolted to the'for- {ward cross frame member 11 of the vehicle- ;and-is free to slide endwise in such bearing, tbeing pressed outward by a spring 12. where lby it is normally kept out 'of' engagement ."with the crank shaft. These parts are included in the regular equipment of the vein-- gcle, and their particular construction is no part of the present invention. In fitting my gimproved device to 'such a vehicle it is in- ;tended that the belt pulley above described :be removed from the shaft. 4 and for itis substituted a cylindric member 14 which is shaped to provide a belt pulley l5 and "a hub :similarly extended forward and provided Ewith claws 16 for engagement by the pin 6 Fin'the end of thelthe original starting equipment of the car is fsubstanttially retained for use in case of the failure of the other parts hereinafter de- Qscrihed, or when otherwise desired. The

pulley 15 is non -rot atively fixed 'on the starting crank; whereby 24 and accommodated in an enlargement 42- shaft 4 by means of a pin 18 which is driven through it. The part 14 is formed with an integral notched wheel 20 the circumference of which is formed with notches or teeth somewhat similar to gear teeth, but with their faces more nearly tangential than gear teeth are ordinarily made; and such notches are designed for engagement having its innerend 25 wedge-shaped at an angle corresponding with the shape of the notches. There is also provided a frame member 30 which comprises an integral hub part through which is made a large cylindric opening of the same diameter as the diameter of the notched wheel 20 and such hub part is adapted to fit over and rotate upon the notched wheel, by which it is supported. A radial extension 84 from the hub part contains the part 24 which is rectangular in cross-section and mounted to slide radially in a correspondingly shaped opening through the length of the part 34; whereby the inner wedge-shaped end 25 maybe engaged with and disengaged from the notches on the wheel 20. It will be seen therefore that the member 30 may be non-rotatively fixed to the shaft 4 by engaging the sliding part 24 with the notches inthe notched wheel, whereby the whole constitutes in efi'ect a crankarm by means of which the shaft 4 may be rotated; and that the radial part 30 may rotate freely about its bearing upon the disengaged by sliding the member 24 outward. The frame part 30 with its hub part and radial extension 34 is strengthened by an integral web or flange 35.

Upon the outer end ofthe web part 35, and upon its lowest side when viewed in the position shown in Fig. 1, is made an extension 37 having an opening therethrough in which is pivoted the forked lower end 38 of a lever 39. The lever 39 extends thence upward over the end of the sliding block 24 and the latter has its outer end made with a rounded head 40 which may be pressed upon by the lever 39 to slide the sliding block 24 inward and engage its wedge-shaped inner end in the notches on the notched wheel 20. A spring 41, coiled about the shank part of the sliding member of the opening through the part 34, bears against the head 40 and acts to ress the sliding part 24 outward and out o engagement with the notched wheel 20.

The frame member 30 is retained in place with its hub part supported upon the notched wheel 20 by means of a flat plate 44, secured upon its front surface as by means of studs 45, and such flat plate is made with its inner end forked and designed to engage in an annular groove-48 in the. hub of the part 14 to prevent the by a part 24 end of the shaft when the parts arechain .50 is slightly slackene 41 acts to device from slidin ofi the notched wheel 20. Ascrew or p1n 49 extendin through the plate 44 and into a groove in the sliding part 24 limits the latters outward move-f ment. 7 v

A chain, or cable 50-is secured in the free end of the lever 39, by means of which a pull may be placed upon the outer part of the device to rotate it in the direction 1n dicated by the large arrow, and a coiled spring 52, hooked into an opening in the web part 35 of the device and having its opposite end formed with an eye 54 for attachment to any convenient part of the vehicle, acts to rotate the device in the opposite direction. The rotation of the entire device in the last described direction under themfluence of the spring 52 is limited by a stop 58 extending from the engine crank case 3, and in the opposite direction by .a similar stop 59; the hub'part of the member 30 being provided with a radial extension 60 for engagement with the last mentioned stop. The two stops 58 and 59, as here shown, are indicated diagrammatically merely, and in the form of vehicle for which the device here shown has been more especially designed, these stops constitute' parts of the ordinary mechanical equipment of the vehicle; but it is evident that where the device is used in a'vehicle differently designed and arranged, suitable stops of other form may be provided, if necessary, vfor limiting the rotative movement of the device. The device is applied to the vehicle by first removing the ordinary belt pulley which isprO- vided for driving the air circulating fan ordinarily mounted the vehicle, and fixing in its stead the part 14 on the end of the crank shaft. If the distance between the ends of the shafts 7 and 4 is not large enough to permit the complete device being thus placed in position, the part 14 alone may be introduced as above described, and then the frame part 30 assembled over the notchedwheel 20 and secured in place b the plate 44. A pulley of any 'suitabie form; is fixed tothe frame of the vehicle or to any convenient partof its equipment at the side of the vehicle and arranged to conduct the chain 50 upwardly and rearwardly in order that it may be led through the dash board of the vehicle and pulled upon by a person seated inthe vehicle; its upper end being provided with a: suitable handle for such purpose. v a f The 0 eration oftthe device is as follows: When t e device is in its initial position shown in, Fig. 1, where it is ordinarily retained by means of the sprin 52, and the d, the spring push the sliding block 24 outward and disengage it from theunotches 20.

behind the radiator of,

A pull on the chain 50, however, acts first to move the lever 39 into its first dotted position as shown and to press the sliding block 24 inward and engage it in one of the notches in the wheel 20; whereupon a further pull will rotate the device and with it the shaft at until the entire device is brought into the angular position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1, where it is evident that the pull on the arm 39 will be in such direction as to remove its pressure from the sliding block 24 and allow the latter to slide outward and be disengaged from the wheel 20; and the chain 50 may then be released and the device allowed to resume its initial position for another effort if necessary. In case of a back kick during the operation of the device, the reverse rotation of the wheel 20 will either reversely rotate the entire device and cause the chain to be pulled from the hand of the operator, in which case the pressure will be removed from the sliding block 24 and the latter thereby released from engagement with the wheel 20; or, if the chain is toostrongly grasped for such release, excessive pressure of the notched wheel upon the sliding wedge member 24 will, by reason of the inclination of the engaging parts, force the latter outward and free the parts from engagement.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft, of a wheel fixed thereto, a movable member and a relatively movable part adapted to engage such wheel and apply a rotative effort thereto in an operative direction, and to slip upon such wheel with an excess of resistance of such wheel against rotation in such direction, a chain arranged to impart movement to such movable member, and means operating through the tension of such chain to bring such relatively movable part into engagement with such wheel, such means including an intermediate member between the chain and sucll movable member adapted to multiply the pressure exerted by the tension of the chain on such relatively movable part.

2. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft. of a notched wheel fixed thereto, a movable member and a relatively movable part adapted to engage the notchesof such wheel and apply pressure thereto in a direction inclined to the planes of their faces, and to slip past such notches with an excess pressure between such faces and such part, a chain arranged to impart movement to such "movable member, and means operating through the tension of such chain to bring such relatively movable part into engagement with the notched wheel, such means including an intermediate member between the chain and such movable member adapted to multiply the pressure exerted by the tension of the chain on such relatively movable part.

3. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft, of a wheel fixed thereto, a notch in such wheel. a rotative member and a relatively movable part having a surface adapted to engage the surface of such notch and apply pressure thereto, one of such engaging surfaces being inclined with respect to the radius of such wheel, whereby such engaging surfaces are adapted to slip upon each other with an excess pressure between them, a second relatively movable part carried by such rotative member, and a chain attached to such second relatively movable, part and arranged to rotate such rotative member, such second relatively movable part being adapted to bring such first relatively 1novable part into engagement with the notched wheel.

4. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft, of a wheel on such shaft having teeth with inclined faces, a rotative member and a relatively movable part adapted to engage with theinclined faces of such teeth, a chain arranged to rotate such rotative member, and means operating through the tension of such chain to bring such relatively movable part into engagement with the inclined faces of such teeth, such means including an intermediate mem ber between the chain and such rotative member adapted to multiply the pressure exerted by the tension of the chain on such relatively movable part.

The combination with an engine shaft, of a notched wheel fixed thereto, a radial member mounted on such shaft, a sliding member having a wedge-shaped end adapted to yieldingly engage with such notched wheel, a movable part carried by such radial member, and a chain attached to such mov-= able art and arranged to rotate such radial mem er, such movable part being adapted to press upon said sliding member and bring it into engagement with the notched wheel.

6. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft, of a notched wheel fixed thereto, a radial member pivoted to rotate about such wheel, a sliding wedgemember carried by such radial member and. adapted to yieldingly engage such notched wheel, a lever pivoted to the outer part of such radial member and adapted to press inward on such sliding wedge-member, and a chain attached to such lever and arranged to impart angular movement to the device.

7. In a starting device, the combination with an engine shaft and a starting crank for rotating the same, of a notched wheel fixed on the end of such shaft and having claws for engagement with such starting crank, a pivoted radial member adapted to rotate about the axis of such notched wheel, scribed my name in the presence of two witla), sliding weddge-membier in such radial memd-l nesses this 9th day of November, 1912.

er a ivote lever a apted to ress inwar upon guch Wedge-member, and a chain at- CHARLES BRIDGES 5 tached to such lever and arranged to impart Witnesses:

angular movement to the device. E. RAPHAEL NoURsE,

. In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- LILLIAN EDI-IRISTLANSON. 

